In less than sixty days since the private beta release of its API, Portland-based Shizzow has now released its API (our Shizzow API Profile) to the public. If you are not familiar with Shizzow, it is a location-based social service that a small, yet dedicated, team of techies built with the goal of helping you build quality relationships through face-to-face interaction. Sharing some similarity with Yahoo!'s Fire Eagle and other location based services, Shizzow functions as a geo-location service that allows users to send "shouts" out of their location, which are subsequently passed on to friends through updates in several mediums. Originally limited for use by Portlanders, Shizzow recently went public in conjunction with the public release of their API.

Online mapping pioneer MapQuest is using open data to provide transit directions via its MapQuest Directions API and the OpenStreetMap-based MapQuest Open Directions API. In both cases, transit directions are based on the Google-created GTFS data standard that helps transit agencies share their routes, schedules and fares in a consistent format. Currently MapQuest's support is limited to six U.S. metro areas.